This keypad might not look like much but the data it conveys is central to many of the systems running at Wimbledon this year. It is used by a team of county-standard tennis players who watch the matches taking place and record information on serves, aces and shots played.

Photo credit: Steve Ranger

Published: July 3, 2006 -- 13:20 GMT (06:20 PDT)

Caption by: Steve Ranger

IBM provides the technology infrastructure for the championships. The data from the keypads is sent back to the IBM control centre at Wimbledon, where racks of ThinkPads - two for each show court - take that data and turn it into useful statistics which can be used by commentators and other systems. After matches, players on Centre and Number 1 courts are also provided with a detailed analysis of their performance using this data.

Photo credit: Steve Ranger

Published: July 3, 2006 -- 13:20 GMT (06:20 PDT)

Caption by: Steve Ranger

Around 180 people work on the Wimbledon IT project across the year, with the hardware delivered in two removal lorries four weeks before the championships begin and then packed up again afterwards. The people pictured here are a back-up team recording match data. Umpires also record match data on PDAs mounted on their chairs, providing an alternative source of information.

Photo credit: Steve Ranger

Published: July 3, 2006 -- 13:20 GMT (06:20 PDT)

Caption by: Steve Ranger

Action in top games is also streamed live on handhelds to VIP guests. The same devices are used by security guards who need to know when a game is ending so they can come and collect the players.

Photo credit: Steve Ranger

Published: July 3, 2006 -- 13:20 GMT (06:20 PDT)

Caption by: Steve Ranger

The data is also used to power the website Wimbledon.org. It gets around 20 million hits per day and IBM says it is now 35 per cent cheaper to run than it was in 2001 - while dealing with twice the traffic. Wimbledon visitors can also access the data in kiosks like this around the site.

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IBM provides the technology infrastructure for the championships. The data from the keypads is sent back to the IBM control centre at Wimbledon, where racks of ThinkPads - two for each show court - take that data and turn it into useful statistics which can be used by commentators and other systems. After matches, players on Centre and Number 1 courts are also provided with a detailed analysis of their performance using this data.